Travel and Personal Growth: Rabbi Cantor Judy Greenfeld On Why & How Traveling Can Help Us Become Better Human Beings
An Interview With Maria Angelova
…Travel opens the mind, exposes us with new ways of doing things, forces survival techniques, and helps us overcome fears. This is again creating new ways of thinking.
Most importantly, it removes us from the rut of habits and the daily monotony we get buried in. It frees us and removes us in a way that a regular day off cannot.
Thankfully, the world is open for travel once again. Traveling can broaden our horizons and make space for people to become more open-minded. How can travel give us the opportunity for personal growth? What are some ways that travel can help us become better human beings? As a part of our series about “How Traveling Can Help Us Become Better Human Beings”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Rabbi Cantor Judy Greenfeld.
Rabbi Cantor Judy Greenfeld is not your ordinary “Temple Rabbi.” She founded Nachshon Minyan in 2005, a spiritual and religious community geared toward unaffiliated Jews and Jews who want to update their negative feelings about Judaism.
After a successful career in fitness and wellness, and with a curiosity to explore the spirituality in the faith she was born into, Rabbi Judy enrolled in the Academy for Jewish Religion later in life. That is where she received her Cantorial ordination and a Master’s Degree in Jewish Sacred Music and Rabbinic ordination.
She is a current member of the California Board of Rabbis and serves on the Sandra Caplan Beit Din in Los Angeles. Rabbi Judy is also a lecturer and co-author (with Dr. Tamar Frankiel) of two books: Minding the Temple of the Soul and Entering the Temple of Dreams.
Both a teacher and healer, Rabbi Judy has built a following as a concierge Rabbi serving the Greater Los Angeles community. She weaves an array of healing practices, from dreamwork, meditation, breath work, healing through somatic dance, sound and sonic geometry and incorporates other ways to understand and open up the ancient scriptures and meaning of Torah, Mussar and Kabbalah. For more information on Rabbi Judy, please visit Rabbicantorjudy.org.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
I had a normal suburban childhood in Pepper pike Ohio. Until … At age 16, my father was held up outside a theater and shot to death. I am the youngest of five children and I grew up in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. Surviving gun violence is hard enough, but working through the trauma of my life changing overnight took years of searching and healing. For a long time, I was angry with God, and asked the unanswerable question: why him? He loved his Judaism and Israel. In addition, I had another futile question: why do I have to grow up without a father?
Jewish holidays were just a reminder of the finality of his death. He was never coming home. I found little comfort at synagogue because it was again a painful reminder of this tragedy. I wanted some answers. So, I turned towards many different kinds of spiritual and psychological sources to find answers. It took decades before I decided to come back to Judaism. When I was ready, I wanted to see where the spiritual concepts were in the faith I was born into. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the roots of all monotheistic religions and their beliefs come from the Bible/Torah; from Moses on Mt. Sinai with the 10 commandments to the 10 sefirot of Kabbalah. These concepts are all found in the same source.
What or who inspired you to pursue your career?
My father inspired me to become a Rabbi. Becoming a Cantor was inspired by the women I met who were already cantors or song-leaders in the Jewish community. Artists like Debbie Friedman and Marsha Attie. They were such soothing singers about prayer that it just made me want to sing. Unfortunately for me, I entered the game late, married and with children in Los Angeles and there was no “real” Cantorial school at the time that did not demand a year in Israel. So, I took any course I could, apprenticed, practiced til my fingers were raw, got jobs in synagogues before I was actually ready and … “lech l’cha” went forth.
I wanted to do something that mattered and gave back to the community and I felt I could do that through music and leading worship services.Finally, the Academy of Jewish Religion was created and I was the first one on the doorstep. I kid you not. I wanted full ordination.
I enrolled in the Academy of Jewish Religion where I was ordained as a Hazzan and continued my studies to receive my Ordination as a Rabbi in 2016. I founded the Nachshon Minyan in 2005, a spiritual, and religious community geared toward unaffiliated Jews and Jews who deeply wanted to update their negative feelings about Judaism. I am proud to say, I have succeeded and have helped hundreds of individuals, bringing relevance to Jewish traditions and rituals.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?
There was not just one person who gave me help and encouragement. I had many teachers. In the beginning, Dr. Tamar Frankiel really saw me, believed in me, studied with me, and wrote two books with me. She was so gentle and loving and never made me feel foolish about any question I asked, especially when I asked more than once. She encouraged me after my traumatic divorce to go ahead to Rabbinic school and I will never forget that.
Also, my mom, she just cheered me on at every step of the way…
It has been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or takeaway did you learn from that?
I made so many mistakes, especially as I learned the “nusach” special music for different prayer services.
Early on I adopted this really helpful way of thinking about the experiences to thwart off feeling embarrassed or beating myself up. I expected mistakes, because after all, it is a live performance. So, each mistake I made I wrote down, without judgment, and then I mastered it in the next service. One mistake at a time, I learned to master the art of prayer services.
Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much?
One of my favorite quotes is by Rabbi Tarfon: “You are not required to finish your work, yet neither are you permitted to desist from it.”
I love this quote because it reminds me that every day, what I do or don’t do matters. When I started Nachshon Minyan, so many individuals came to me with a negative story about their past experience with Judaism. They shared the hypocrisy, heartbreak they felt when they had no money, the rejection that they were not Jewish, gay or did not fit in the financial bracket.
I made my actions count by listening and explaining and sharing different perspectives. Explaining that Judaism is like a prism … it has so many ways of looking at life’s issues and experiences. My conversations, clarifications, kindness, and wisdom that I could share is what filled me up every day and has given my life meaning. I have had the chance to positively awaken, educate, and change the way people have viewed and practiced Judaism.
Which leads me to my second favorite quote: Talmud (Sanhedrin 37a): “Whoever saves a single life is considered by scripture to have saved the whole world.’ Because we are created in God’s image. (This means everyone — not just Jews)
Even the smallest acts when intended for good and towards a sacred direction are necessary and building blocks for future change. This is from Pirke Avot, or “The Ethics of the Fathers” (sometimes called “The Sayings of the Fathers”) a collection of wisdom from the Jewish Talmudic sages, in this case, Rabbi Tarfon, who lived and taught 2,000 years ago.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
This past year caused a huge transformation for the Nachshon Minyan synagogue. After operating in the same way for 15 years, COVID, the economy, and our students finishing their b’nai mitzvot, and moving on made it necessary to re-focus, rethink and re-discover what the needs of the Jewish community are currently.
The “old style of synagogue life” has passed for the Nachshon Minyan for now. The reality is that people don’t really attend services, except during the High Holidays, many are suffering financially, they feel the need to Jewishly educate their children more than themselves. They don’t see the Temple as the place to meet socially because truthfully, they are working so hard and are so busy.
After brainstorming, looking at trends, praying, I have come to realize that this concept of Concierge Clergy is what can be most effective now. At first, I was embarrassed by the title. But just like we want our doctors, dentists, tutors, travel agents to be there when we need them, why is clergy so different?
Becoming a Concierge Rabbi is one exciting new project I am building on this year. I have also been hired by a Conservative Synagogue called Ahavath Shalom in Fort Worth, Texas to visit once a month and teach Jewish Spiritual practices of Rosh Chodesh and the Jewish Calendar connection to the new month and new moons. Over the three days of study we unearth the woman hidden in the Torah and their connection to the men; some Kabbalah, storytelling and art. We explore how these rituals, and lessons from ancient scripture guide us and give us insight into everyday life. I will be doing this through monthly Sound Baths, followed by teachings, songs, prayers, journaling; all geared toward the cycles of the calendar.
In Los Angeles, I will also be offering this type of monthly spiritual practice workshop. Please visit my website for more information: rabbicantorjudy.org.
To me, Judaism is a spiritual practice, and that is what I teach in every class. I am not your ordinary Rabbi/Cantor as I am traditional and spiritual at the same time. My teachings are a fine weave of an array of spiritual healing practices and Judaism. I have spent years doing dreamwork, meditation, breath work, healing through somatic dance, studying sound and sonic geometry as ways to understand and open up the ancient scriptures and meaning of Torah, Mussar, and Kabbalah. Over the years, I find the most fulfillment in watching families and individuals wake up to the relevant, to Holidays to Peoplehood to Rituals, the list goes on. My passion is teaching and seeing the light go on with beauty and meaning.
OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview about travel and personal growth. Let’s dive deeper into these together. Based on your research or personal experience, why do you think travel can lead to personal growth? Can you share a story?
There is a legend that when we were created, we were given a purpose on this planet. As we live our lives, along the way, we are meant to find hidden sparks that teach us who we are. Some of them are hidden in people we meet randomly; many are found hidden under the guise of a “trip” or pilgrimage. A spiritual journey is any journey where you find “sparks of wisdom” that are awaiting you. Even if the worst, most aggravating things happen, remember that the way you navigate them, or the choices you make, are precious teachings, for you and those around you.
A recent survey from Psychology Today showed that over 80% of participants found that travel helped them with problem-solving or decision-making. Why do you think this is true for so many people?
I believe that travel is helpful with problem solving and decision making for so many reasons.
First, traveling is all about quick decision making … what to pack, where to go, what car to take, what hotel, what tour in a short period of time. The mind grows through mistakes and being forced to make decisions.
You problem solve when you surrender and make do with what you have- or lose. (Has anyone ever forgotten to pack enough underwear? No real big deal … you go one day without or buy new.)
Freedom from the pressure of getting it right. The fact that you are not being graded or watched and judged for your mistakes loosens the grip of personal humiliation. Many times, I have said to myself … OK … I would grade this day as a © you passed. It wasn’t life shattering and wasn’t all that bad.
Travel opens the mind, exposes us with new ways of doing things, forces survival techniques, and helps us overcome fears. This is again creating new ways of thinking.
Most importantly, it removes us from the rut of habits and the daily monotony we get buried in. It frees us and removes us in a way that a regular day off cannot.
Do you think travel enhances our mindfulness, optimism, or sense of gratitude? How? Can you please explain with an example or story?
My last travel memory involved going far away and to an exotic country. What I loved was that the whole trip was framed in a spiritual context, and that there was a calling to learn and grow my feminine power and strength. Feeling as though I was on a personal pilgrimage to retrieve spiritual wisdom and help for women made the challenges and aggravating moments worth it. Framing the experience as a sacred journey and taking away expectations made everything an exciting first-time experience.
Surely not everyone who travels automatically becomes an exemplar of human decency. What are a few reasons why some people completely miss out on the growth opportunities that travel can offer?
I think anxiety has a lot to do with people completely missing out on growth opportunities that travel can offer and (a mentality that I am not so proud of, but it has something to do with) entitlement … I am on vacation, and I want to be taken care of and pampered. Not take care of anyone. I am not judging either. I can understand especially when vacations are time off and a time for self-care.
At the same time as looking for places to go and see, some don’t spend enough time trying to work with the language barrier. In fact, we expect most countries to speak English and in most cases they bend to us. Language and communication are huge growth experiences and opportunities to see into the people.
I think there is fear of the unknown, meeting random new people, accepting kindness and rides from the residents unless it is prearranged. Trying new foods and customs that we may not like or understand is a risk that some don’t want to take. They would rather ask for what they eat in America.
Those are unreasonable expectations — not being able to accept things as being what they are.
Thank you for that. Now for our main question; What are your “5 Habits You Should Develop In Order Make Travel Into An Opportunity For Personal Growth?”
- Drink loads of water on the airplane — be gentle with yourself during jet lag.
- Keep a journal / I keep a separate poetry journal.
- Moderation / Eat one plate of food and a couple of bites of dessert.
- Walk as much as you can.
- When you are tired — rest — you are allowed to take a day off the busy itinerary you set. Trust me, whatever you miss, you weren’t meant to see.
If you keep yourself feeling good and regulated, you are more open to everything being presented to you.
From your experience, does travel have a negative impact on personal growth too? Is there a downside to travel?
The only downside I can see in travel is when one travels to escape life, which happens. If your experience is over drinking and overeating (at least for me) you are too full or drunk to accurately enjoy the new experience.
The other downside is being negative throughout the experience and unwilling to adapt.
If you are seriously sick or injured, consider going home so you don’t ruin the trip for everyone else.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)
Yes, there is one person that I can think of that I would looove to have a private breakfast or lunch with. Oprah.
Oprah is an amazing human that is resilient, doesn’t seem to judge others and is genuinely curious to learn about people’s point of view in her interviews. She is spiritual, she has raised herself from nothing and re-invented herself over and over again. Her vulnerability makes her approachable and she gives. She seems to have met every outstanding human being and at the same time seems interested in the not famous. I admire her deeply.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
For spiritual stimulation year-round, please visit my website rabbicantorjudy.org. I have sermons, classes, and blogs and lots of exciting events including sound baths and more that can be attended in person or online. I also share my favorite products there as well.
Thank you for these really excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent on this. We wish you continued success.
About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.
